Soul (2020 film)
| story = Pete Docter | starring = | music = | cinematography =Jeremy Lasky Sharon Calahan | editing =Ken Schretzmann | studio = | distributor = Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | released = | runtime =115 mins | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} Soul is an upcoming 2020 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is directed by Pete Docter, co-directed by Kemp Powers, produced by Dana Murray from a story written by Docter and a screenplay written by Docter, Powers, Mike Jones and Tina Fey, and stars the voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad and Daveed Diggs. Soul is scheduled to be released on June 19, 2020. Premise Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher, has long dreamed of performing jazz music onstage, and finally gets a chance after impressing other jazz musicians during an opening act at the Half Note Club. However, an accident causes Gardner's soul to be separated from his body and transported to the "You Seminar", a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child, and Gardner must work with souls in training, such as 22, a soul with a dim view on life after being trapped for years at the You Seminar, in order to return to Earth before it's too late. Voice cast * Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher with a deep passion for jazz. * Tina Fey as 22, a soul trapped in the You Seminar with a dim view of life. * Questlove as Curly, a drummer in Joe's band. * Phylicia Rashad as Joe's mother. * Daveed Diggs as Paul, Joe's neighborhood nemesis. * T. J. Miller * James Corden * Kevin Hart Production Development In the beginning of 2016, it was announced that Pete Docter was working on a new film. In June 2018, it was announced that Docter was planning to complete his film despite being Chief Creative Officer at Pixar after John Lasseter's departure. In June 2019, Pixar announced a new film titled Soul with Docter directing and Dana Murray producing, with a synopsis released on Twitter about a cosmic journey through New York City. Murray said that the film will "(take audiences) to a world where no one’s ever been, well, for a long time", while co writer/co director Kemp Powers said that it is "completely different" to Docter's previous films. Powers also said that the film will answer important questions in "a really fun way". Tina Fey also contributed to the screenplay, having helped to write her character's lines. Pixar chose to portray the film's main character as a musician, because they wanted a "profession the audience could root for", and settled for a musician after trying for a scientist, which "feel so naturally pure as a musician's life". Docter described Soul as "an exploration of, where should your focus be? What are the things that, at the end of the day, are really going to be the important things that you look back on and go, 'I spent a worthy amount of my limited time on Earth worrying or focused on that'?". Casting On August 24, 2019, Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad and Daveed Diggs were announced of starring in the film. Soul is Pixar's first film to feature an African-American protagonist. Animation The filmmakers animated the souls featured in the film in a "vaporous", "ethereal", and "non physical" way, having based their designs on definitions about souls given to them by various religious and cultural representatives. Docter describe it as "a huge challenge", as the animators are "used to toys, cars, things that are much more substantial and easily referenced", though he felt the animation team "really put some cool stuff together that’s really indicative of those words but also relatable". Music During the 2019 D23 Expo, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were revealed to be composing the film's score, while Jon Batiste will be writing jazz songs for the film. "Overture" by AJR was also featured in the film's trailer. Release Soul is scheduled to be released on June 19, 2020 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Marketing The film's teaser trailer was released on November 7, 2019. References Interview: Pixar president Jim Morris – 'The Good Dinosaur' |date=June 2, 2016 |website=Time Out |access-date=June 20, 2019 |url-status=dead}} }} External links * * Category:2020 films Category:2020 computer-animated films Category:2020s animated films Category:2020s fantasy films Category:African-American animated films Category:African-American films Category:American 3D films Category:American computer-animated films Category:American fantasy films Category:American ghost films Category:English-language films Category:Films about the afterlife Category:Films about reincarnation Category:Films directed by Pete Docter Category:Films with screenplays by Pete Docter Category:Films with screenplays by Tina Fey Category:Films scored by Atticus Ross Category:Films scored by Trent Reznor Category:Films set in New York City Category:Jazz films Category:Pixar animated films Category:Upcoming English-language films Category:Upcoming films Category:Walt Disney Pictures films Category:2020 animated films Category:American films Category:Films about music and musicians Category:2020s American animated films